Monocyte function and plasma levels of interleukin-8 in acute ischemic stroke

Activated monocytes may contribute to the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke. We tested the hypothesis that release products and procoagulant activity of monocytes are increased in acute ischemic stroke. In patients on days 1, 3 and 7 after ischemic stroke and in age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects, we assessed plasma levels of interleukin 8 (IL-8) and neopterin (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, ELISA) and investigated superoxidanion release (ferricytochrome C reduction), procoagulant activity (one-stage clotting assay) and tissue factor (TF) gene transcription (reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction) by monocytes. As compared to control subjects (n=23), IL-8 levels were increased on day 1 after stroke (n=22; p=0.005) and remained elevated on days 3 and 7. Neopterin levels were elevated on days 3 and 7 (p<0.05, respectively) but not on day 1. Neopterin and IL-8 were not correlated with monocyte counts. Superoxid anion production by stimulated and unstimulated monocytes was not different between groups. TF mRNA could neither be detected in monocytes from patients investigated within 12 h after ischemia (n=12) nor in control subjects (n=10) and procoagulant activity of cells was similar in both groups. Our results indicate increased monocyte activation after ischemic stroke although not all activation parameters were elevated. We found no support for the hypothesis that circulating monocytes express TF and possess increased procoagulant activity. Elevated IL-8 may contribute to stroke pathophysiology by activating polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMNL) activation early after ischemia.